1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for updating configuration information such as a connection profile.
2. Background of the Invention
In general, content delivery service is performed based on configuration information, for example, a network interface.
The content delivery service includes various types of services, and a dynamic content delivery (DCD) service has been recently proposed.
The DCD service is performed to deliver content to a terminal periodically or according to a user's request.
The DCD service includes a pull method for delivering content to a terminal according to a user's request, a push method for unilaterally delivering content to a terminal, a broadcast method for broadcasting content to a plurality of terminals, etc.
Referring to FIG. 1, the DCD service includes a DCD terminal 100, a content provider (or content providing server) 200, and a DCD server 300 (or Service Provider: SP) for receiving the content from the content provider 200 and providing it to the DCD terminal 100 according to a user's configuration.
The DCD terminal 100 includes a DCD client 101, and a DCD enabled client application 102.
The DCD client 101 receives the content from the DCD server 300 through an interface therebetween.
The interface between the DCD client 101 and the DCD server 300 includes DCD-1 interface, DCD 2-interface, and DCD-3 interface.
The DCD-1 interface supports a service based on the PULL method, the DCD-2 interface supports a service based on the PUSH method, and the DCD-3 interface serves to transmit and receive a control signal, etc.
The DCD enabled client application 102 performs various functions by using content received from the DCD server 300, and includes various applications such as a browser and an RSS viewer.
The DCD enabled client application 102 includes an application profile corresponding to configuration information for the DCD service.
Hereinafter, the operation among the components of FIG. 1 will be explained.
The DCD enabled client application 102 of the DCD terminal 100 informs itself to the DCD client 101, and registers to the DCD client 101 so as to receive content from the DCD server 300. For the registration, the DCD enabled client application 102 delivers an application registration request message to the DCD client 101. Here, the application registration request message may include the application profile. And, the application registration request message may further include information such as a user's preference and personalization. This allows the DCD server 300 to deliver a channel guide about a user's interest channel (e.g., today weather) to the DCD terminal 100 based on the user's preference and personalization information.
The DCD client 101 registers to the DCD server 300. Here, the DCD client 101 delivers the application registration request message to the DCD server 300. The application registration request message may include the application profile. As aforementioned, the application registration request message may further include information such as a user's preference and personalization.
The content provider 200 generates a channel formed as a plurality of similar contents are grouped. The content provider 200 registers channel metadata, information about a plurality of channels that can be provided by itself, to the DCD server 300. Then, the content provider 200 provides the channel metadata to the DCD server 300.
The DCD server 300 makes a channel guide through the channel metadata by the plurality of content providers 200, and provides the channel guide to the DCD terminal 100.
The DCD enabled client application 102 of the DCD terminal 100 provides the channel guide to a user, thereby allowing the user to subscribe to interest channels. Once the user wants to subscribe to his or her interest channels, the DCD enabled client application 102 delivers the subscription request to the DCD server 300 through the DCD client 101. Then, the DCD server 300 delivers the subscription request to the content provider 200.
The content provider 200 delivers the channel metadata to the DCD server 300, and the DCD server 300 delivers the metadata to the DCD enabled client application 102 through the DCD client 101. Here, the content provider 200 may further deliver content metadata about content inside the channels to the DCD server 300.
The channel metadata is stored at a lower hierarchy of the application profile of the corresponding DCD enabled client application 102 that plays back content of the subscribed interest channel.
FIG. 2 shows details about the application profile and channel profile, and a relation therebetween.
Referring to FIG. 2, the channel metadata is located at a lower hierarchy of the application profile. And, the content metadata is located at a lower hierarchy of the channel metadata.
The application profile includes an application-id parameter indicating an ID of a corresponding application, an application-description parameter indicating information of an application (e.g., application name), a channel-discovery-notification parameter indicating whether to notify a new channel or not, a DCD-3-connection-profile-name parameter indicating a name of configuration information about the DCD-3 interface such as a connection profile, and a DCD-3-connection-profile parameter including the configuration information about the DCD-3 interface such as the connection profile. As aforementioned, the connection profile is located at a lower hierarchy of the application profile. Accordingly, when the DCD enabled client application 102 registers to the DCD client 101 so as to inform itself and to receive content from the DCD server 300, the connection profile is delivered to the DCD client 101 from the DCD enabled client application 102 with being included in the application profile. Once receiving the connection profile, the DCD client 101 checks validity of the connection profile, activates a connection with the DCD server 300, and sets a session with the DCD server 300.
The DCD-3-connection-profile parameter includes the connection profile. Here, the connection profile includes an address of the DCD server, information about a proxy server, etc. The DCD client 101 performs a connection with the DCD server 300 through the DCD-3 interface by using the connection profile inside the application profile.
The content metadata includes a connection profile about the DCD-1 interface, and a connection profile about the DCD-2 interface.
The connection profile about the DCD-1 interface is included in the application profile. The application profile is generated when a manufacturer presents out a terminal installed with the application, or when the manufacturer installs a new application. This may cause change of the connection profile to be impossible, and thus service can not be performed when the DCD server designated in the connection profile is mal-operated. Furthermore, when a plurality of DCD terminals have the same connection profile, they are connected to the same DCD server. This may cause an overload.
When receiving the channel metadata by subscribing to the channel, the connection profile about the DCD-2 is received together with the channel metadata. The connection profile can be received only when subscribing to the channel, but can not be changed later.